Armstrong Ceiling Solutions and USAI Lighting Partner To Provide LED Downlights at Acoustical Ceiling Intersections

New integrated ceiling solution places light where it has never been before

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions and USAI Lighting have partnered to provide architects and designers with the opportunity to place LED recessed downlights at the intersections of acoustical ceiling suspension systems, allowing light to be placed where it was once impossible.

The new integrated ceiling solution, Intersection Downlighting, includes an Armstrong® Ceilings Intersection Downlighting kit with a snap-in-place downlight suspension frame for light fixtures, high-profile yoke, directional cross tees, and connection clips. Compatible 9/16” suspension systems include Silhouette® XL® ¼’’ and 1/8’’ Reveal, Suprafine® XL, and Interlude® XL High Recycled Content in both White and Blizzard White colors. A new, pre-cut, factory-finished, notched Calla® ceiling panel has been designed to eliminate field modified panels. The USAI® Lighting CONNECT™ family of downlights have been designed and precision-engineered for seamless compatibility with the Armstrong® Ceilings Intersection Downlighting kit.

Seismic code compliant for D, E, and F areas, the new pre-engineered system replaces inconsistent field-modified finishes and edge details with clean, crisp panels and grid for a fast and easy installation. Additionally, tested for quality and efficiency, the Intersection Downlighting solution delivers a full family of high-performance LED lighting.

By providing a seamless integration of ceiling panels, suspension systems, and LED light fixtures at the intersection, this new solution allows for perfect alignment of lighting and architecture, providing designers with the ability to deliver on their vision of symmetry for any installation and architectural application.

“We are excited about this partnership with USAI Lighting. Together, we can significantly improve the appearance of ceilings and lighting,” states Nick Taraborelli, Vice President, Commercial Marketing of Armstrong Ceiling Solutions. “Up until now, downlight placement had to penetrate ceiling panels, which resulted in a less cohesive visual aesthetic and added cost, time, and installation complications for project installations. Now, for the first time, pre-cut factory-finished panels, along with the Intersection Downlighting kit, make this previously impossible condition consistent and easy to execute in the field.”

Ceiling Panels Feature Total Acoustics™ Performance

Notched Calla® ceiling panels from Armstrong Ceilings feature Total Acoustics™ performance, meaning they absorb noise in a space, while blocking it from traveling into adjacent spaces. The panels have a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.85 and a Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC) of 35. This combination of sound absorption and sound blocking in the same ceiling panel allows for the best noise control, while assuring flexibility for future use.

CONNECT™, the newest LED downlight product family from USAI Lighting, offers exact fixture placement in a grid to seamlessly integrate recessed downlights with building design. A full family of downlight, adjustable and wall wash functions are available in three of USAI Lighting’s most popular trim styles: BeveLED®, SliverLED®, and True Zero®. In combination with USAI Lighting, patented Warm Glow® Dimming and Color Select® tunable white technologies, CONNECT™ fixtures offer unlimited choices for designers to meet the needs of their clients in a multitude of project types.

“This is a turning point for architects and designers in commercial and institutional spaces alike, “ noted Bonnie Littman, President and CEO of USAI Lighting. “By combining Armstrong Ceilings’ performance and USAI Lightings’ award-winning technology and light fixtures, we can achieve perfect architectural symmetry throughout an entire space that’s easy to install, high performing, and aesthetically pleasing. It’s the ultimate trifecta and is the ceiling of the future.”

For more information on Intersection Downlighting, visit armstrongceilings.com/downlight

For more information on CONNECT™ lighting, visit usailighting.com/connect

About Armstrong World Industries

Armstrong World Industries Inc. (AWI) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of innovative commercial and residential ceiling, wall, and installation system solutions. With over 3,700 employees and fiscal 2015 revenues from ceiling operations in excess of $1.2 billion, AWI operates from a global manufacturing network of 25 facilities, including 10 plants dedicated to its WAVE joint venture.

About USAI Lighting

Building on a rich heritage in lighting that dates back to the 1930’s, USAI Lighting is an industry leader in manufacturing sophisticated LED fixtures. USAI Lighting has received numerous patents for its proprietary and unique electrical and mechanical product technologies. The company takes pride in developing its sources as well as its fixtures — not only the light engines, but also the optics and thermal management, and in ensuring dimming system compatibility through rigorous engineering testing and product development. Each new product the company introduces to the architectural lighting market pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in LED research & development, a forward-thinking approach that has resulted in a stream of industry firsts and awards.